Undeniably His(66)
“The sooner the better. It’s perfect, thank you. Getting the story out early is crucial, and whoever put this piece out knows that.” Kalin begins to devour his lunch. I have never seen him so famished. It must be the demands of his healing body.
“His name is Carl Atwell. Apparently he thought he could put some B.S. out without anyone noticing?”
Kalin wipes his fingers with his napkin and shifts his eyes to me. “Unfortunately, it’s a process that usually works for them.”
“What do you mean?” I crinkle my brows at him.
“As my marketing assistant, it’s time to learn how the media works.”
“Okay.” I straighten up like a student in a lecture hall.
“They write for profits, not to inform the public about anything in particular. Oftentimes they are even paid to forward a story, and solidify it in the public’s mind. So they run with a story and just keep repeating it over and over. The public believes it and at that point it is almost impossible to reverse, regardless of whether it’s true or not. Prosecutors have used this method for years to influence a jury, and politicians use this method all of the time in cooperation with news outlets.”
“How do they get away with that?”
“Money. It’s all about money. Stories are bought and sold just like everything else, not just advertising. Fortunately, we are on the advertising side. But I have seen how it works from the inside, and it isn’t pretty.”
“So they are paid to put out false stories?”
“It happens all the time. If they get any friction, they just buy the news source.”
“I will certainly read the news with a new skepticism.” I shake my head with a tinge of disgust. “Apparently he thought he could pass a few lies off on you, and defame your name.”
“Yes. And he’s mistaken,” Kalin sneers. “I’m going to let him know he gets only two choices with me. And he needs to decide fast.”
I take a bite of chicken and raise my brows in curiosity.
“Give up his sources, or get fired.” He glares.
“Kalin, you can’t fire him, you don’t own the…” Even as I speak I realize the implications of what he’s saying. “You’re going to buy the Gazette just to fire him?” I ask.
“If I have to. Or he can simply tell me who fed him that story, and print a full retraction on the front page. Or I can buy the company and do it myself. Oh, and then fire him.” Kalin takes a bite of chicken like he’s eating at a picnic on a Sunday afternoon. He looks up at me and smiles.
The nurse and doctor come in to take some readings. “Hello, Annabelle. Kalin, you’re recovering about a week ahead of schedule. Your heart is much stronger, your ribs are strong and healing, and your lung is back to normal. Must be all that good food you’re eating.”
Kalin and I exchange impish expressions.
“We can probably let you out of here in a week.” The doctor writes down a few readings on the machines. “The nurse will be back in about an hour to take your blood pressure.”
“Thank you, Doctor Brandt. I know this was a serious injury. I want to tell you how much I appreciate what you did for me.”
“You certainly defied the statistics, Kalin. Injuries of this type have an eighty percent mortality rate. Consider this your second life.” Dr. Brandt gives Kalin a stern nod and ambles out of the room.
Kalin smiles at me. “Good news for us. Bad news for them.”
Carl Atwell arrives at the hospital two hours later. He has thin, dark hair that he wears longer than necessary. I sit by the bed and record the conversation on the phone in my purse. Kalin introduces me as his marketing assistant who delegates all assignments, including how to go forward with this issue.
Carl, a senior reporter for the Southampton Gazette, has gone far in his career by telling silly tales of good-hearted politicians, faithfully serving corporate interests, and generally covering for the rich and powerful. From his large body of work, there is no telling how much the public has been kept in the dark on any given issue that truly matters to them.
Kalin tilts his head back in the bed and gazes at the ceiling for a moment. His tone is laced with impatience and disdain. “Are you proud of the work that you do, Mr. Atwell?”
“It pays the bills.” Carl’s lips twitch into a smirk.
“Mr. Atwell, let me get to the point. I know how this works. You report something over and over and over again, and before you know it, the people will believe it regardless of any ensuing facts. Even if you issue a retraction, it will be too late because it is too ingrained into the public’s mind. And the sooner the bullshit is reported, the better.”